Joe
by Serendipity73
Summary: I wrote all of these so long ago under my pen name... sigh back in 1999...


"Joe!" Westlake yells as she runs over to him "Oh my god no!" she is touching in, trying to find his pulse, anything to make sure he is alive.  
"Good, Joe, hold on help is on the way." She says as she sits down and rests his head in her lap.  
"Please Joe, hold on, everything is going to be okay" she keeps saying over and over until the ambulance arrives.  
"What happened miss?" One of the EMT's asked Westlake "I..I think he received a electric shock, although I am not sure how."  
She slowly responds.  
"Okay Miss, can you step back now?"  
"No, I am going with him!" She demands "You are allowed to sit up front, but you can be in the back."  
"Okay" She says to him and turns her full attention back to Joe.  
"Joe, I am right here, I am not going anywhere." She says to him and squeezes his hand softly.  
A little while into the trip he awakens and looks around, confused he calls out the only name he knows.  
"Cameron?"  
She turns around "Yes, Joe I am right here."  
"Joe?" he says "Oh no.." she whispers to herself They arrive at the hospital and they take Joe right in, Westlake is told that she has to stay out of the room until he is stable and sercure.  
While she waits she calls Frankie and Catlett.  
"Frankie" The voice answers from the reciever All he hears in crying from the other end.  
"Westlake? Is that you?"  
"Frankie, come down to Metro General. Joe has been in a accident."  
"Alright I will be right there." And he hung up the phone. Now all she could do is wait.  
About thirty minutes later Frankie comes through the doors. "Westalke?"  
"Right here" She says from the couch in the waiting room.  
"What happened?"  
"I don't know, all of a sudden Joe was on the ground, and it looked like he got shocked by electricity. I mean he had all the symptoms, I just don't know how."  
"Oh no. Have you heard anything?" He asks "No not yet. The doctors are in with him now."  
"He is going to be okay. Don't worry, he has survived a lot more than just this." Frankie says as he pulled her into a embrace.  
"He called for me Frankie, but when I answered him, he didn't even know his own name." She cried Frankie didn't say anything for a few mintues.  
"Frankie"  
"Yeah, what does that mean? What is going on?"  
"When Joe says he can't remember his past at all, except for the things he has put together."  
"Right"  
"Well the reason why, is because he had a chip implanted that blocks his memory."  
"What?" She demands "And you never thought that I should know this information Frankie? He could of gotten hurt out there, christ look what happened tonight."  
"I know Westlake I am sorry, truthfully I didn't even think about it until now."  
"Alright, alright. What happens now?"  
"As you can tell, the chip doesn't work is there has been some sort of electrical shock to the body. It fries it in a sense."  
"Yeah, then?"  
"He loses all current memory."  
"Oh no." she says as she starts to cry again.  
"But Frankie, he called out my name in the ambulance on our way here."  
"Well then I say you made quite a impression on him then Westlake."  
Frankie says trying to lighten her up a bit.  
"Frankie, I am scared, what if he doesn't remember me at all. I mean he didn't know me before all of this and everything."  
She pauses a little before saying her next sentence. "I.. I just don't want to lose him, that's all."  
"I know, neither do I" Frankie says A few moment later the doctor comes in.  
"Are you Miss Westlake?" He asks "Yes I am. How is he doctor?" She asks standing up. Frankie gets up as well and takes her hand in his for support.  
"He is stable now, although I am not sure how all this happened to him.  
We found a chip of some sorts in his brain that we took out." He paused "It looked it was damaged, and we were correct."  
"Can we see him now?" Westlake inquires "He is asleep, but I don't see a problem with it. Although I have to warn you, he doesn't remember a lot of things."  
"Do you think his memory will come back at all?" She asks him "It is to early to tell, but he has been asking for a Cameron?" He pasued and looked at Westlake "Is that you?"  
A smile crossed her face and nodded.  
Frankie and Westlake walked to his door and she looked at him.  
"I just want to say thank you Frankie, for being here. I couldn't of done this without you." She says as she pulls him into a embrace.  
"Look I am going to wait out here for Catlett and get some dinner, do you want anything?"  
"You can come in with me."  
"I think you need some time to yourself with Joe, Westlake. I will be back later."  
"Okay"  
After Frankie leaves she opens the door to see Joe in the hospital bed asleep. She walks over and pulls the car next to him.  
"Oh Joe" She says between sobs and touches his face.  
"I am so sorry" she says as she sat down and took his hand in hers and cried herself to sleep.  
Sometime during the night Catlett and Frankie came in to check on them and Joe had woken up to see them.  
"Hey Joe" Frankie says "Hi" was his reply in a raspy voice.  
"How are you feeling?"  
"OH I could be better." Joe says and points to Westlake "How is she doing?"  
Frankie and Catlett both look at each other then back to Joe.  
"What?"  
"Joe she hasn't left your side since. She is really upset, distraught."  
Frankie said "She called me in tears."  
"Same here Joe."  
Joe yawns a little "So are you going to tell me what happened or do I get to guess?"  
"You are very tired Joe, in the morning."  
"No I want to know." He demands "I have to know. For her sake."  
"The doctor's aren't sure how, but you received an electrical shock, you went down and then you ended up here. They did x-rays and had to remove the chip."  
"Oh no" was his answer.  
"They doctors say you are going to be alright, but they have no idea what reaction you are going to have without the chip." Frankie says "One more thing Joe, you called a lot for Westlake, but when she answered you, you didn't know who 'Joe' was."  
"Oh god."  
"We are going to let you two sleep. We will be back in the morning."  
Catlett says "I am going to have Frankie take a close look at the Viper,  
make sure it was nothing to do with the car, a well."  
"Ha, and you were complaining you never got to work on my car anymore."  
"Night Joe" They whispered and were out the door.  
He couldn't believe that with all the talking, Cameron didn't wake up.  
'She must really be out of it'  
"I am so sorry Cameron." He said as he put his hand on her head, mostly because he wanted to know she was still alive, still here with him. He couldn't believe it, she was actually still here with him. How much he had put her through over the last months, and here she is, still by his side. It was the most moving thing anyone had ever done for him.  
He reached over and turned the television on, and turned the volume all the down, as he reached for a pen and paper. He started to write a letter to Cameron, but tossed it as best he could to the garbage can next to the bed.  
He started writing again, but this is all that came out;  
No one can live in sorrow, just ask your friends I know the things you want are not the things you have If I were standing beside you, how would you feel Don't you cry tonight, there is a heave above you Don't cry tonight, I still love you Joe managed to put the pencil and paper back down next to him, reach for Cameron's hand and fall back to sleep. He didn't wake up until the next morning to Cameron looking down at him as she gently put a hand to his cheek.  
"My angel" He managed out, not really knowing what he was saying due to the morning and all the events that happened the night before. But he was sure that whatever he had said he meant it.  
"Hi Joe" She said through a blurry haze "What's wrong?"  
"Nothing Joe." She said to him.  
He noticed the paper he had written on last night in her hand. "You read that?"  
"Yeah I did."  
"Sorry"  
"For what? You didn't do anything. You wrote your feelings down about me, so I read them. It was something you had to say, and you did."  
"Catlett and Frankie came back by last night while you were asleep."  
Westlake sits down next to him on the edge of the bed.  
"Yeah what did they have to say?"  
"I asked them to tell me what happened." He said, Joe noticed that she looked back down at her hands sadly.  
"I am sorry Joe, I should of done something more."  
"It is not your fault, you did everything, in my book you saved me,  
again." He looked up at her "I owe you everything Cameron."  
Cameron's eyes started well up again.  
"Joe, that was they implanted in you, what is going to happen now? I mean you had no idea last night who, you were. It scared me a lot."  
"I don 't know, Cameron. Frankie did say that I called for you afterwards. So I say you made quite a impression on me." He says half joking, trying to lighten the mood a little.  
The spoke for a long time, the nurse came in for his breakfast. Cameron stayed the whole time with him.  
The doctor came in some time later.  
"Well I see our patient is up this morning." He walks over to Joe "How do you feel?"  
"Good all things considered."  
"Good, and it looks like you ate as well. That's a good sign, we will change your dressings in a few minutes too."  
"Doctor how is the removal of the chip going to effect him?"  
"That we do not know Miss Westlake."  
"Cameron, please."  
"Cameron, we will just have to take it one day at a time. But he is coming along great so far."  
"Hey you two I am right here, you know." Joe says "Sorry Joe, I just had to ask." She says as she takes his hand in hers.  
After one week, the hospital let Joe go home, but only to be under supervision. So Cameron said he could stay with her. She went back to work only part time, Catlett had set up a agreement with her.  
During the week at the hospital and the week home, Joe had been relatively okay. He had, had some feelings of going back to the life of crime he was in before. He had forgotten who Joe Astor was a few times,  
and Westlake had to bring him back. Through all these spells, though he never forgot who she was. Frankie had gotten a hold of one of the doctors who was in on Joe's first operation where they implanted the chip. They had a meeting with him at Westlake's place that afternoon.  
"What time is the doc going to be here?" Joe asks rather impatiently.  
"Three, Joe. And stop pacing, everything is going to be fine."  
"I know I know. You know Cameron, in the old days, I never used to be good at this. If someone kept me waiting, I'd probably.." Joe started but didn't finish.  
"Joe you are not that kind of person anymore. You are the most patient,  
kind person I know." Cameron says as she walks over to him and puts a hand on his arm. "Relax okay" she whispers in his ear.  
Joe looks up at her with such awe. He has never known anyone like her before. Someone that would respect, care, and maybe even love him,  
unconditionally before. So he smiled at her and leaned over to her "Okay, I will try."  
About a hour later the Dr. Gilmore arrived.  
"Well what I can tell you is that once the chip is removed, all the memories will return." He says "Okay, but will Joe stay the same person or will he go back to the person before?" Cameron asks.  
"Well, we made the chip so that it leaves all the current memories in tact, but the choice is up to the person."  
"The choice?" Joe asks him "What does that mean?"  
"Can you tell me what symptoms you have been having Joe?" Dr. Gillmore asks "Well I have been feeling a bit more on edge. Like there is something that I have to do, and I can't put my finger on it." He says "But I have been feeling a bit restless, like I can't be in one place all the time."  
Joe says slowly as he looks over to Cameron. He knows this is tough on her, to listen to all this.  
"Have you felt anything else Joe? Any sort of need to go back to your previous lifestyle?"  
"Well, I have woke up in the middle of the night, wondering why I was here instead of out somewhere. And from what I was told, I forgot who Joe Astor was on two occasions." Joe says.  
Cameron at this point is doing all she can just to keep it together. She is standing over by her living room window silently praying that everything is going to be all right.  
Joe looks up at her and pauses for a moment then continues, "Doc,  
whatever happens to me that is what matters to me most." Joe points to Westlake "I need to get better for her."  
"Joe all I can say is make the right decision and stick with it. It is not going to be easy at all, I can tell you that, but if she made that much of an impression on you, that you still remember her in your off times, then let her help you." Dr. Gillmore tells him.  
"Oh and if you need me for any reason before your next check up with me,  
don't be afraid to call. Either of you." He says, the last part of that was directed towards Cameron.  
Dr. Gillmore goes over to Cameron and shakes her hand.  
"Thank you for everything today Dr. Gillmore." She says "Take Care of him Cameron."  
"I will, bye" she says and closes the door.  
Cameron in front of the closed door for a few moments before she heard Joe come up behind her.  
"I am sorry you had to hear all of that." Joe said to her. He had put his hands on her waist and turned her around.  
"Joe I needed to hear what was going to happen or wasn't going to happen." She said as she put her hand on his chest. "I had to be here for you."  
"Cameron, I am glad you were, I couldn't and still can't do this without you."  
"Joe I am scared."  
"Scared about what?"  
"Lots of things Joe. Like whether or not you are going to remember me when you wake up, like are you going to choose the right way, by that I mean crime or crime fighting, or are you to say 'I can't do this anymore' and leave me, leave everything behind?"  
"Cameron listen to me, the doctor said I would have to make a choice right?"  
"Yeah"  
"So I made my choice. I am not going back to my past life. I like this one to much."  
"But what if you have no control over it?"  
"I am going to need your help Cameron. I don't want to lose anything,  
especially you." He said to her as he rested his forehead against hers.  
Just then the phone rings.  
"Figures" Cameron says "Hello?"  
"Westlake, how did it go with the doctor?"  
"Hey Frankie, it went okay. He said if we all stick together and help Joe, he will get through this, we will get through this together."  
"That's great Westlake, if you guys need anything let me know."  
"OH Joe wants to know if you found anything out about the Viper?"  
"Ah well I ran some tests and it looks like there was a malfunction. It looks like it is a good possibility it was the Viper. I have to do some further tests just to make sure."  
"That's not a good sign is it Frankie?" Joe says from the other phone.  
"Hey Joe, no it is not."  
"Okay Frankie thanks for everything, listen if you aren't busy how about pizza and a movie my place on Saturday?"  
"Sounds like a plan. I miss you guys, it is just not the same."  
We miss you too, see you then."  
"Bye guys." And he was gone.  
Friday night "Hey Cameron, how about dinner and a movie?"  
"You coming on to me Joe?"  
"Maybe I am."  
"Well then for that matter I would have to say yes, just because I want to find out any ulterior motives you may have." She says as she pokes him in the ribs.  
"Hey play nice Cameron, otherwise you will never find out about my ulterior motives."  
"Okay Joe, be that way. So what movie do you want to see?"  
Joe picks up the paper in search for the movie section. "Ahh here it is.  
What can I subject you to tonight?"  
"All I know is that it better be good." Cameron says to him.  
"Hey, I am always good."  
"Sure Joe whatever you say."  
"I am, truthfully."  
"Oh look the drive in is open. Let's go."  
"Joe we are not teenagers anymore."  
"That's what you think. I am going, if you want to go then that's fine too."  
"Okay okay, but you owe me dinner first. My choice."  
"Sure, oh and we take your car."  
"Oh so I have to drive?"  
"Nope I will, I just want to take your car."  
"Do I even want to know why?"  
"Probably not."  
On their way to dinner, Cameron was thinking about everything that had went on during the time since Joe's accident. How everything had changed for Joe and herself, and for their relationship. Cameron had found out a lot about Joe, and his personal side that she hadn't known before. She actually really started to enjoy being with him even more than she already did.  
"Hey what are you thinking about? You kind of phased out there for a moment." Joe asked "Oh, I was just thinking about everything that has happened, everything that has changed with us, life, that sort of stuff."  
"Heavy thoughts there Cameron, for dinner and a movie."  
"Yeah well I let you drive, and this is what happens."  
"Hey, everything is going to be okay." Joe says as he takes her hand in his.  
Everything went well that night. They went to dinner and to the drive in. They arrived back to Cameron's place around midnight.  
"Joe.."  
"Whose Joe?" He asks 


End file.
